Steam scoring machine for ice



Nov. 26, 1929. E, s, HENRY 1,737,308

STEAM SCORING MACHINE FOR ICE `Filed Aug. 20, 1928 Patented Nov.V Z6, 1929 EARL s. HENRY; or Mannonncnnarrona Y STEAM scontare MACHINE non ICE ,i fngpf application mea August 2o, 1928. serial nacooso.

My invention relates to devices for scoring or marking blocks of ice. i

The obj ects of my invention are to provide an apparatus of this character which is new, 5 novel, eliicient, useful, comparatively inexpensive to construct and operate andwhich is of utility; to provide a device which utilizes the heat of steam in scoring; to provide a machine which eliminates all motors, gears, drive chains, shafts, saws and the like; to provide a machine which takes the blocks of ice on edge, completes the scoring in one operation and delivers the block on edge, there being no necessity of turning the block 15 on end, to provide a device which requires but one trip of the said block through the machine to 'effect the scoring; both the lengthwise and crosswise scoring being accomplished at the same time; other and further objects being made manifest hereinafter as the description of the invention progresses. Scoring machines as at present constructed employ sets of gang saws, one set for lengthwise and another set for crosswise scoring. The sets of saws do not operate simultaneously. After the block of ice passesone of said sets of saws it must be turned before passing the second set. This requires amachine with a. long supporting frame, the sets of saws being in opposite ends thereof, a turning space therebetween and complicated mechanical accessories to accomplish the scoring, and in addition a motor or other driving means. In my invention the machine isapproximately one third as. large, the saws are replaced by tubular gridirons containing live steam, the said gridirons being forced into the block of ice by weights actuated by gravity, the machine requiring no motor or other driving means. l

My invention consists in the novel construct-ion and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, portrayed in the accompanying one-sheet drawing, and particularly pointed out in that portion of this instrument wherein patentable novelty is claimed for certain distinctive and peculiar featuresy of drawings are illustrative and notlrestrictive,

and withinthe scape of what hereinafter hand lever Sis pivo-tedat lOto supporting isthus claimed, various changes in the form,

size, proportions and minor details of the structure may be made, without departing from t-he spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention. v

Like characters of reference designate .like parts in all of the figures.

ln the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the machine; Fig. 2 is an end elevational view with the ej ecting mechanism omitted; Fig. 3 is a sideview of the tubular gridi'ron, with a dotted outline of a block` of vice thereon, and Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the method of-joining the gridiron tubes.

@ne embodiment of my inventionis shown as follows: lnthe `drawings 1 representsa block of ice placed'on edge, upward incline2 assists in placing said block 1 upon supporting base 3 said base being as long as block 1 `70 but not so wide as said block 1. Downward incline a assists `in discharging the block from the machine after the scoring is completed. The main side supporting frames 5, preferably made of angle irons, are rectangular` in shape, their greater dimensions being upstanding, said frames 5 are connected in proper spaced relationship by upper cross rods 6 and lower cross rods 7. Stop and ejector S0 base 3, and rod 9 is pivotedto hand lever 8 at 11. Rod 9 is placed alongside base 3 and under-block 1, said rod 9 operates to position a bell crank stop 12 at the front ofsaid block` 1 whenrhand ylever 8 is in thelposition indicated in solid outline. Bell crank 12 is pivoted to base 3 at '13 and to rod 9 at 14. I provide van ejector plate 15 atthe rear of block 1,

.havingllever armlG pivoted lto base 3 at 17, an

ejector collar 18 rigidly; attached tov rod 9 operates to lift said plate 15 and'block 1 when hand lever 8 is inthe position indicated by the dotted outline,` in which position rod 9 operates toreleasestop 12 from in front of said block 1 and permits block-1 to move down 95 inclined andout of the'mac-hine. Retrieving collar 19 on rod 9 operates to return said the device, it being understood that the said grdiron frame '20, y preferably ino made of angle irons, havinv their greater dimensions horizontal, are pzlaced within said main Vside frames 5'on both sides of block `1, are slidably mounted on upper cross rods 6 by sleeve guides and supports 22 and on lower cross rods 7 by similar sleeve guides and supports .23. Mounted `on said rods i6 and 7 Aare stationary sleeve stops 24 and 125 lfor respectively limiting the inward movement of sleeves 22 and As can best be seen in Fig. 3 the. scoring gridiron 21V formed from flattened tubes is shown detached from its supporting frame 20.V The gridiron 21 consists of steam intake manifold pipe 26 and exhaust pipe 27, the said pipes 26 and 27 are horizontallly connected by vtube 28 and vertically conlnected by tubes 29, 30,31, `32 and 33, these vertical tubes also communicate with tube y28 `through-anapproximately half lapped brazed joints 28a and 29 the Vdetails of which is shown in Fig. 4. Thesaid flattened scoring tubes are preferably Amade of brass, copper or like non-rusting material. The gridiron here 'illustrated would be adapted for scoring a 30() pound block of ice into 12 pieces of `25 pounds each but it is to be understood that my invention is not limited 'to this size block or number of pieces. Y Since blocks of ice vare made tapering in order 'to remove them from the cans in which they are frozen, I provide 'for this, as can be seen in Fig. 1, fbyspacin the verticalscoring tubes farther apart at t e smallend ofthe block in order Itha'teach piece will weigh the same, in this case 25 pounds. Live steam is admitted to gridiron ,-21 at 34, is forced through man- 'Y fold 26 and'fthe -tubes connecting therewith,

-is collected in manifold27 and eXha-ustsat 35. 4In order to providevfo'r vexpansion and contraction in said gridiron 21 springfclip 361011 tube 28 `and spring clips 37 at the upper and "lower ends of the ver-'tical tubes are placed on the anchoring `means lby which the Asaid gridiron lis attached to frame 20. In order that the block of ice may be 'centered 1n 'the .machine I'provide guide and spacer blocks 39 attached'tofframe 5 by bolts 40. Two pressure ba-rs 41 `on yeach side of the machine are secured to frames u12) by lfastenings 42. `Gravity weights 43 for `pressing gridirons 2l into block 1 are articulated to pressure shafts 44 by weightflevers 45 set-screwed thereto, long llink 46 lpivota'lly uniting said levers' 45. `Pressurelevers 47 andshort pressure -links 48'a`ttachedto pressure-bars 41 adjacent the upperand lower quarter points of said bars 4l applythe pressure of lsaid l weights 43 Atogridironf-rames 20 and 'gridirons 21 kandpforce the gridironV tubesevenly into the block 1 from'both sides "to a uni- Aform, pre-determined depth. vThis depth,

can be regulated bythe 'lengths of sleeve Y Vguides and supports 22Hand 23VVV and 'sleeve ',stopsl24fan`d 25 on cross rods 6'and 7. The -depth ofscores madevby horizontal tubes 28 will be a little less than the scores made by the vertical tubes as the junctions of said tubes are less than half laps and said tubes 28 are on the side awa from the block of ice. The pressure shafts 44 are connected to main frame 5 by bearings 49. Weight releasing and Asteam valve operating hand lever `5() isilatched -by 51 to vsaid frame 5 and keyedr to shaft 52, said shaft 52 having bearings54 bolted to frame 5. Levers 53 setscrewed to shaft 52 are operatively connected by fiexible Icables 55 to weight link 46. Cables 55A are used to make it impossible for .any ignorant for careless operator to break or injure the gridiron tubes by attempting to 'force said tubes into the block of ice as would be the case if hand lever 50 were Vrig idly connected to the gridiron articulations. Steam valve lever 56 is also attached to shaft V52 and-through link 57 and stem 58 operates to open steam plug cock 59 and admit live steam from pipe 60 to gridirons 21 as soon as hand lever 50 is unlatched for releasing f weights Steam pipe gauge strainer 61 is inserted in steam pipe 60' to avoid clogging the scoring tubes by any scale or lother'foreign matter which might be carried through said pipe 60. l

The operationof scoring-a-blockof ice'will now be explained. With fhand lever 8 in the Aposition indicatedby` solid lines in Fig. l a

-block of `ice is slid up incline 2 and into vthe machine 'small lend li-rst, 'and comes -to rest on rbase 3 and against stop 12.` Hand lever 50 is released from latch 51, steam Iis admitted through plug cock -59 into steam hose lines 138 `and thence into scoring tubes of gridirons 21. WVeights 43 are released atthe Sametime and by gravity pressure force inwardly the said gridirons 21 Aagainst the two opposite lsides of said 'block of ice, in a few moments the hot tubes melt into the ice luntil brought 'to a stop by sleeves 24 `and 25. Hand lever` 50 'is hooked under latch 51, the steam is cut off, the gridirons are withdrawn from the block, ejecting hand lever 8 is pulled forward Yinto position as shown in dotted outline in Fig. 1, stop 412 removed from in front of the "block, y'ejector plate 15 -lifts the -baok of the bloc'k Aand pushes it forward lwhere-it slides out of themachine and down incline 4, per- Tfec'tly scoredand ready to be cut into pieces `of uniform weight. It is Lto berunderstood that both sides of the block of ice are scored alike, in perfect alinement, and to such depth ed to divide the vblock into pieces of any def sired weight. It is to ybe understood that such 7focalization of the point of the gridiron yshapedjscoring portion -in-the way of a point? fed hollow cutting edge may be made as de- VJ1115 Y .1150 -that very 'little effort with an ice Vpick is need-V Having thus described my invention what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

l. A machine as described, for scoring ice, having a base and supporting frame, a hollow gridiron manifold member adapted for steam heating and for scoring blocks of ice to a predetermined depth, weight means for controlling said gridiron member, flexible means for preventing injury to said device by unwarranted force being exerted thereon, means for loading and unloading blocks of ice to and from said frame.

2. A machine, as described, for scoring blocks of ice, comprising a supporting base having inclines at both ends, metallic side supporting frames their longer dimensions being vertical, cross rods for holding said frames in proper spaced relation, guides on said frames for properly positioning said block on said base between said frames, means for stopping said block onsaid base and means for releasing said stop and ej ecting said block from said machine, a steam heated hollow gridiron scoring frame being adapted for oppositely and simultaneously being sunk by gravity and heat a predetermined distance in said blocks of ice.

3. A machine for scoring blocks of ice, comrising a first set of metallic side supportlng frames, means for holding said supporting frames in proper spaced relation, a supporting base for said block between said supporting frames, a guide anchored onrsaid frames for centering said block in said machine, a hand lever on said base for operating stop and ejector means for said block, a second set of metallic frames positioned within and co-acting with said supporting frames, scoring gridirons consisting of iiattened metallic tubes supported by said second set of frames, means for admitting live steam into said gridiron, means for applying pressure to said steam-lled gridirons as they melt into said block of ice, means for withdrawing said gridirons from said block.

4. A machine for scoring blocks of ice,com prising a first set of metallic side supporting frames, means for holding said supporting frames in proper spaced relationka supporting base for said block between said supporting frames, guides anchored on said frames for centering said block in said machine, a hand lever on said base for operating stop and ejector means for said block, a second set of metallic frames positioned within and co-acting with said supporting frames, scoring gridirons consisting of flattened metallic tubes supported by said second set of frames, steam intake and exhaust manifolds connecting with vertical and hori- Zontal iiattened metallic scoring tubes, clipspring means on the connections of said tubes and said frames for equalizing changes in temperature, stop means on the said spacporting base for said block between said supjporting frames, guides vanchored on said frames for centering said block in said machine, a hand lever on said base for operating stop and ejector means for said block, a shaft supported by said lirst set of frames., a second hand lever attached to said shaft for releasing pressing weights and operating a steam plug cock simultaneously, a steam plug cock for controlling steam to hose connecting steam scoring gridirons, a second set of metallic frames positioned within and coacting with said iirst set of frames, scoring gridirons consisting of flattened metallic tubes supported by said second set of frames, a plurality of Weights having co-acting means for transmitting inward pressure to said gridirons, flexible means for connecting said second hand lever with said weights for preventing said gridirons from being forcibly pressed into said blocks, and permitting gravity and heat only to control them.

EARL S. HENRY. 

